83 Bangladeshi migrants rescued, 31 detained from Mediterranean Sea

Eighty-three more Bangladeshi migrants have been rescued and 31 others detained while crossing the Mediterranean Sea to Europe.

The 83 were rescued after their boat capsized in Tunisian waters and the 31 migrants were detained in Libya, confirmed the Bangladesh embassy in Libya.

Members of the Tunisian navy yesterday rescued 178 migrants including 83 Bangladeshis. The rest are from Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Mali, Morocco, Nigeria and Ivory Coast. The navy also recovered two bodies at the time.

"The boat capsized after it cracked. After receiving a signal from the oil rig, Navy personnel rushed to the spot and rescued the victims," Tunisian Navy spokesman Mohamed Yekri told the Associated Press.

On the same day, the Libyan Coast Guard during a raid detained a total of 271 migrants including 31 Bangladeshis from the Mediterranean. All of them were sent to a detention centre in the Libyan capital, Tripoli.

According to sources both boats left Zuwara in Libya for Italy on Saturday.

On Friday, members of the Tunisian navy rescued 267 people, including 264 Bangladeshi migrants, floating in the Mediterranean.